Dogs seem to have an awful lot of ritual before hunkering down and soiling the sidewalk. It’s not uncommon to see a dog owner—plastic bag in hand—rolling his eyes as his furry companion sniffs and spins, getting just so before hunkering down to do the least considerate thing possible.

But for whatever its worth, all that spinning is far from arbitrary. What dog owners witness is a small and furry version of the aurora borealis and a link between species and environment that’s as holistic and beautiful as a dog pooping can be. A team of Czech and German researchers found that dogs actually align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field when they poop.

Okay, I will now more closely observe my 2 pups. If this is a true statement, that dogs align with the magnetic field to poop, then their noses will be point magnetic north or south every time. This is not a phenomenon that I have noticed.

In Vastu, which is the Indian "science" of interior decoration, the toilet seat should be oriented north-south. I don't know if that means you are facing north and cheeking south, or the other way round

However, that probably has to do with how water drainage systems were originally designed. Since, most rivers flow north to south in India, and cities are around rivers, drainage systems were probably oriented towards the flow of the river they drain into

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardM

Okay, I will now more closely observe my 2 pups. If this is a true statement, that dogs align with the magnetic field to poop, then their noses will be point magnetic north or south every time. This is not a phenomenon that I have noticed.

From the article

Quote:

If you’re out walking your dog later, and he sidles up and pees on a tree facing east-west, don’t be terribly surprised. The magnetic consciousness was observed only in dogs off leash, in the middle of a field. All things considered, the owner matters more to the dog than the Earth’s magnetic field; a nice little ego-booster that you’ll need as you bend over to pick up warm dog droppings.

This is not something I've previously been paying attention to; but I'm fairly sure she was east/west this morning, though she was about done when I looked in the right direction.

I was going to suggest that it is because she was attuned to magnetic north, not rotational north, but something else came to mind - if dogs do react to the magnetic fields like that, how do all the electric things affect that, particularly the stronger-field things like electric supply lines?

I don't think rotational and magnetic north are at right angles to each other in this part of the world.

I suppose she might have been attuned to magnetic or rotational north, but preferred to be aligned across it rather than in line with it. If she's always east-west, that might imply something; but, as I said, I haven't been watching and don't know.

She wasn't anywhere near a major electric line. If power to the house and barn is enough to affect it, I would think that almost all dogs in much of the world are going to be affected.

Because of our recent lovely weather my Chihuahuas poop in my dining room. It isn't because they don't have ample access to the back yard it is simply that they feel that it is too cold for them to adequately choose the perfect spot, so when no one is looking they poop in the dining room. When let out they will gingerly pick their way out the door pee two or three times and then stand and cry mournfully at the door. The four pounder I cannot leave out more than about 1 min. before her feet get so cold she can't walk properly. Thankfully our 60lb. mutt is quite happy to find his spot in the yard.

I will be glad when it warms up enough for their little butts to do the job outside. Have I mentioned lately how much and all the ways I hate winter? Nah, post is too long now.

I've been observing the daycare dogs pooping for two weeks, much to my coworkers amusement. From a sample of aprx. 150 dogs over this period, it would seem to me that they poop in whatever direction they feel like.

My own Gambit does poop in the same alignment every day, but I have some suspicions that he has a little canine OCD in addition to his other problems.

It spins randomly in my yard too, Troberg. Jas has no particular orientation when he poops, except when he poops in areas that are too confined for him to face perpendicularly, like between the shed and the fence.